Left For Red – All Things Known and Buried

Left For Red‘s debut album “All Things Known and Buried” is so mature it’d be forgivable to think it was by a band with decades of experience (they just may). Well constructed and enjoyable, it’s not overly self-indulgent but definitely has big enough balls to make you look at this album more than once.

It’s filled with classic post-grunge choruses and passages you’d expect from the likes of Audioslave and Alter Bridge. ‘Master of the Game’ is a great intro (bar the 49 second ‘Masters Call’) to start of the album; great chorus, a nice guitar solo and good rhythm sections for the most part. It, as seems to be relevant for intro tracks, contains elements of what to expect throughout the rest of the album – a degree of maturity with a penchant for the darkness and a great inkling for catchy choruses. ‘Reborn’ fits the categories but adds in harsher vocals and these balance quite well, something many bands of this ilk get wrong a lot of the time. The harsher vocals never feel forced; they’re there to add to the song but they’re never out of place. ‘Shatter’, too, is one of the best tracks on this album, a little bit better at mixing the dynamics than the rest and the production is top dollar. ‘Dystopia Rising’ and ‘Utopia’ contrast well off each other, which is apt considering their names.

Whilst its praises can be discussed, however, it is not without its criticisms. There are some production and editing issues, and some of the rhythmic sections aren’t always as interesting as they could be. Generally these issues can be saved with more experience, and more budget, and that is something that comes with success and more experience.

Definitely a strong release considering it’s Left For Red‘s debut album. Plenty of room for improvement in all areas as ever, but for a first dive into a significant release it’s commendable. Eager to hear how they develop.